Thanks for making our 2011 Education Extravaganza an absolute success!
Check out the 2011 program
Vendors and parents that attended the Education Extravaganza:
We'd love to hear from you! If you have an comments or suggestions for our 2012 Education Extravaganza, please take a moment to fill out the parent survey or the vendor survey. And thanks again for coming out and joining us this year!
ParentMap’s Education Extravaganza features 80+ schools, learning specialists, tutors, extra curricular activities, and more from all over the Puget Sound. Plus! During the event, four education leaders will speak on age-specific hot topics. (This page is also available in Spanish.)
Education Extravaganza Speakers and Events
Savvy Parents! Take advantage of free access to some of our local education leaders who will be speaking on relevant age specific hot topics at the Education Extravaganza.
Jackie Ferrado: Funding Your Child’s College Education -- 5:15-5:45 p.m.
The only thing that’s growing faster than your child is the cost of college tuition. While we all know that it’s better to start saving when your child is 3 rather than 13, the reality is that most parents today are struggling just to make ends meet. Saving for college seems like a daunting, if not impossible, task. How do you save for college when the cost of daycare is just as expensive? What if youmanage to save, only to find that your child no longer qualifies for financial aid? Or that your savings are not enough? How do you navigate the pitfalls of taxes and the skyrocketing cost of tuition?
ParentMap is here to tell you that there is an easy, affordable, and tax-advantaged way to save money for college. Washington’s GET Program guarantees your child’s account will increase right along with the cost of college tuition, without worrying about the ups and downs of the stock market.
Jackie Ferrado is the Outreach Manager for the Guaranteed Education Tuition Program (GET), Washington’s 529 prepaid college tuition program. Since its establishment in 1998, over 135,000 GET accounts have been opened and over 20,000 students have already used their accounts to attend colleges, universities, and technical schools around the country. Jackie will explain how this innovative programs works, how to enroll, and how you can get your savings on track NOW so your child can fulfill his or her dreams of the future.
Since working with GET, Jackie has shared her knowledge about GET at more than 200 events. Her experience and easy-to-understand manner are complimented by her natural ability to speak with humor and enthusiasm. Don’t miss it!
Anoo Padte: Elementary School: Finding the Right Fit -- 6-6:30 p.m.
Identifying the right school is not impossible but it can be confusing. Many factors like learning styles, teachers, curriculum, school location, public vs. private school, financial commitment raise questions for well-meaning parents. It can be hard to sort through conflicting pieces of information, trends, opinions, the variety of school options all while turning an eye towards who you know your child to be and what you most hope for her. ParentMap is here to help!
Education coach, Anoo Padte will speak to Education Extravaganza attendees about not only kindergarten readiness as it applies to preparing for elementary school, but she will also break down those larger questions related to seeking the right fit, and provide relevant tips and tools help parents to feel empowered and educated in their search.
Anoo believes that education is meant to stir a child’s innermost being so that he or she can participate in lifelong learning and growth. Anoo builds on this foundational goal by paying close attention to family values, the needs and passions of each child and the changing nature of education in the 21st century. Before launching The Art of Education practice, Anoo taught at the middle and high school level. She also plays the roles of parent, partner, gardener, artist, runner, and chef.
Sherry Catron Burke: Digital Tween Fads: Navigating Healthy Boundaries -- 6:45-7:15 p.m.
Facebook, e-mail, cell phones, iPads, video games, cable television—the variety of ways in which tweens can be sucked into a zombie-like state of virtual reality from which it seems they may never emerge is, quite frankly, frightening. Today’s parents are faced with a rapidly changing, ever-widening landscape of choices (and anxieties) around screen time—how much is too much? When is it appropriate to get my child a cell phone? How do I set and enforce rules without being in constant conflict with my child? How do I keep my child safe from cyber-bullying and Internet predators? What automatic controls are available and how do I put them into place? What if my kid knows how to get around them? What do I do when I find out they've seen something inappropriate?
Do not be afraid! You are still the grown-up, and you can still be in control.
Sherry Catron Burke is the Director of Programs, Partnerships, and Research at Committee for Children and will be talking with parents at the Education Extravaganza about how to navigate these tricky parenting moments. Through social and emotional skills, such as impulse control, empathy and perspective-taking, assertiveness and communication skills, emotion management, and problem-solving, you help your tween develop healthy relationships, both online and off.
Sherry has over twenty-five years experience in translated research, secondary education, prevention training and program development. At Committee for Children, she leads the development and evaluation of evidence-based programs that help schools and families build children’s social and emotional skills and prevent bullying, violence, substance abuse, and other problems. She is also the mother of four sons, ages 17 to 29, all of whom have successfully navigated the tween years!
Adie Simmons: Support Your Child's Success: Positive School-Family Partnerships -- 7:30-8 p.m.
Adie Simmons, M.Ed., is the first Washington State Education Ombudsman and the founding Director of the Office of the Education Ombudsman (OEO). She was hired by the Governor’s Office to develop the OEO after the Washington State legislature passed a law creating the new agency in 2006. The Office of the Education Ombudsman resolves disputes and conflict between parents and public school officials that impact student academic progress. OEO promotes school-family partnerships and makes recommendations to public officials based on data collected.
She has authored and contributed to articles and manuals on topics regarding family and community involvement in schools and is also a recognized trainer and public speaker. She has developed a series of training seminars for K-12 teachers to better involve families in education, and classes for families to learn about the public school system and how to partner with schools. Ms. Simmons has presented in many national and state conferences, been interviewed on radio/tv, and featured in magazine and newspaper articles.
Ms. Simmons holds a Master’s Degree in Education from Western Washington University and a Bachelor’s Degree in Communications from the University of Washington. She is married and has 2 daughters.
Fun For The Kids!
Learning about the smart education choices you can make for your kids can be fun! We're going to prove it to you! Here are some of the kid-friendly event elements Education Extravaganza attendees can look forward to:
Roving Magic
Acclaimed magician, Jeff Evans of Edumazement Assemblies will perform strolling magic throughout the event, wowing kids and adults with close-up entertainment.
Arts & Crafts Table
We will have lobby space available to entertain kids with supervised crafts activities!
Education Extravaganza Sponsors:
